Battle of Xuzhou (196)

The Battle of Xuzhou occurred in 196 AD when Lu Bu rose in rebellion against Liu Bei's sworn brother Zhang Fei in the city of Xuzhou, Xu Province.

Background
Lu Bu had been welcomed into Liu Bei's service after fleeing from his defeats in Yan Province at the hands of Cao Cao in 194 AD, and he was allowed to live in the town of Xiaopei with his family. In 196 AD, Cao Cao, now the Regent Marshal and Prime Minister of the Han dynasty, decided to settle an old score by attempting to have Lu Bu executed. He made Liu Bei the official Governor of Xu Province, but sent him a secret note asking for him to execute Lu Bu. Despite pressure from Zhang Fei and Guan Yu to do so, Liu Bei was too kind and refused to betray Lu Bu, promising him that he would never harm him, even after Zhang Fei attempted to slay him. Cao Cao responded to this snub by sending Liu Bei a forged edict asking him to subdue the imperial pretender Yuan Shu south of the Huai River, hoping to have his two rivals destroy each other. Liu Bei, although aware of the possibility that the edict was forged, refused to ignore any imperial edict and led 30,000 troops south, leaving Zhang Fei and Chen Deng in control of Xuzhou. Zhang Fei promised not to drink, and Liu Bei reluctantly entrusted him with command. Zhang Fei decided to hold a banquet in Xuzhou to celebrate the last night before Liu Bei's ban on drinking came into effect, and, at the banquet, Cao Bao refused to drink, as he saw it as against his religion. Zhang Fei continued to get more drunk and began to bully Cao Bao, eventually warning him that he would be flogged for disobeying his general's command to drink. After Cao Bao threatened to tell his son-in-law Lu Bu about Zhang Fei's threat, Zhang Fei said that he would beat Cao Bao as though he were beating Lu Bu, and he had Cao Bao flogged fifty times. Cao Bao left the banquet burning with resentment, and he wrote to Lu Bu, telling him of Zhang Fei's abuse. Lu Bu's strategist Chen Gong then advised Lu Bu to seize Xuzhou, which was just 15 miles from Lu Bu's base at Xiaopei.

Battle
Cao Bao had the guards on the walls of Xuzhou open the gates for Lu Bu, and Lu Bu gave a secret signal to his soldiers, who wnetered the city shouting. Zhang Fei was then woken up by his servants, who informed him that there was fighting going on in the city, and Zhang Fei attempted to flee after drunkenly attempting to fight, abandoning Liu Bei's family to their fates. Cao Bao attempted to pursue Zhang Fei, but Zhang Fei wounded Cao Bao in the back, and Cao Bao's frightened horse threw him into the moat, where he drowned. Zhang Fei then collected his troops and rode south, and Lu Bu placed guards around Liu Bei's family residence.

Aftermath
Zhang Fei headed to Xuyi and told Liu Bei of Lu Bu's treachery, and Zhang Fei drew his sword to kill himself out of shame. However, Liu Bei prevented him from doing so and reassured him that his sworn brothers were irreplaceable, unlike wives and children. Yuan Shu, who was at war with Liu Bei, attempted to court Lu Bu into an alliance against Liu Bei. Lu Bu sent Gao Shun with 50,000 troops to join Yuan Shu, but Gao Shun halted when Yuan Shu promised several gifts only after Liu Bei was defeated. Lu Bu was enraged and considered attacking Yuan Shu instead, and Chen Gong had Lu Bu ask for Liu Bei's return so that both of them could attack Yuan Shu. Liu Bei returned to Xuzhou, where he found that his family had been treated very well, and Liu Bei finally succeeded in convincing Lu Bu to accept appointment as Governor of Xu Province, which he had tried to offer him two years before.